Rise of the Intelligence Agent
by KtyouVsWriting
Summary: While the Jedi and the Clones fight the battles above, The Republic Strategic Information Service fights deep within enemy lines. Cipher Ten is the best of the infiltrators, a soldier dedicated to his work. He serves for the good of the Republic publicly, and undermines the Jedi Order and the CIS secretly under the orders of his master, Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Dawn of the Assassin

July 4th, 2014

California, United States

Earth

Colby Thompson held the gun in his hand. It was a M1911, the standard gun in the United States Military for many decades. He held it straight and true, looking at the target in front of him.

"You can do it."

Colby turned his eyes to see his father. Although his father smiled at him, deep down, Colby knew that his father still had many things he did not like about his son, specifically, his crimson-red eyes. Colby had been born on July 7th, 2003. He was born with normally brown eyes as all babies. However, as time went on, his eyes turned an unnaturally dark red. Even though he was but a child, many people, including adults, felt uneasy when looked upon by those red eyes. He was also known to be an unusual child, being very quiet and spoke little; even he had a way with words. Apart from his unusual personality and eyes, he appeared normal other than that. His jet-black hair was long enough to cover his head, but not enough to give him any female looks. Even for his age, he was in excellent shape. He stood a few inches taller than most kids around his age. On his left eye, two angry scars crisscrossed. This seemed to only give him a more intimidating appearance. He was not, by any means, a rebellious child, nor was he a spiteful or angry child. He always kept a calm and collected attitude, and rarely ever displayed anger.

Remaining focused on the target, he narrowed his eyes on the target. Waiting a second, he pulled the trigger. The gun kicked back in his hands…and the bullet hit the target dead-center. Colby continued to unload the remaining rounds into the fragile target. Each round hit the intended target. As the last round exited the gun, he lifted the barrel up, blew some cool air, then observed the target board. What was once a intact target was now riddled with holes, each around the red center, where there lay several other holes.

"Good shooting," Colby's father commented.

"Thanks," Colby stated.

"We got to go to the match."

Colby paused to think. As long as he could remember, he had always fancied guns. From the first moment he had seen them on movies to his father showing him his collection, Colby found himself attached to firearms of all kinds. He knew that he would not be allowed to use them from a young age. His parents would go ballistic if he even considered asking them. He needed to come up with an alternative. To that end, while surfing on the internet one day, he found the perfect solution: paintball guns. Once he discovered this, he went to his parents to ask if he could participate. At the time, he was not yet old enough to go to the nearest matches. His mother, Katrina, was worried very much. She did not wish for him to even pick up any kind of firearm. His father, Paul, had been a former Marine in the United States Army. Ever since he retired to a relatively quiet life, he had been training Colby in everything he could. His father was really eager that Colby had discovered a fascination for guns. His father was able to persuade his reluctant mother to allow him to use guns. Ever since then, his father had taught him how to hold a gun, how to aim, how to shoot, how to build and maintain one, everything Colby would need to know. Since then, Colby had become quite the marksmen and had begun taking up sniping.

"Yeah, I'm coming. Competition is fun."

"Then get ready. We got to go."

Kyle handed the gun to his father, then wasted no time in getting ready for the match. He grabbed his two pistols, clamping them onto two custom-made holsters made for his last birthday. He grabbed extra ammunition, cartridges, and made sure to double and triple check all his gear. With that, he began to make his way to his dad's truck. They were off quickly. As they drove to the paintball competition, Colby's mind was suddenly…

_I feel…hesitant_

For some reason, his body was ready for this, but his mind was telling him to back down from this one. He realized that he needed to force himself to forget about his hesitancy before his father looked over and begin wondering what he was thinking about. He turned his head to look out the window to look at the busy streets. As they moved more towards the suburban area, the crowds changed accordingly. The truck stopped in front of a large dome arena. Without wasting a moment, he opened the door, not even bothering to close the door. With quick strides, he made his way into the building, having to wait for his father to register and confirm. He was then put into the waiting area with the other competitors. All of them sported different gear. All were loaded. Once the alarm was sounded, everyone spread out. The dome was large enough to provide for a battleground that was large enough to support all players without crowding problems. Despite the relatively large range, Colby was not concerned. He always played these games smart, not hard.

He waited patiently for the game to start, then he took a quick look around the corner to see if anyone was there. He saw someone's helmet and quickly moved out of the way as he felt some shots whiz by his head. Taking a chance, he quickly unloaded one of his pistols into the place where he thought the person was. Seeing no one, he quickly returned to cover, only to find another person there. Thinking quickly, he took a blind shot. His shot flew straight and true, hitting the person in the chest. The opponent immediately held his hands up.

"I'm hit!"

With that, the player turned to exit the arena. Colby immediately resumed his attention to the battle. Colby, from his viewpoint, could make out others firing at an unseen target. Using what little visibility he could, he fired off a couple of rounds. The player he was firing at saw him and rapidly fired off rounds. One round hit him in the head, cracking against his helmet, but before he could respond to being hit, a smoke grenade hit him. There was a crack in his helmet, and he coughed, trying to respond, but before he could, he felt another impact against his head. He stayed conscious long enough to feel himself hit the ground, but then, he blacked out…

* * *

><p>Coruscant<p>

28 BBY

From his vantage point, Palpatine could see everything. Coruscant was bustling as always. Many speeders and shipped filled the sky like a never-ending rain. He remained calm and composed, observing all of this, but inside, his mind. He knew there was still much to be done. He had been planning slowly and surely for the Clone Wars. So far, the clone army was advanced rapidly. The order would be met on time. Everything was proceeding as planned. As patient as he was, Palpatine found himself longing for time to pass, but he knew that patience was key to victory. As long as he was patient and waited for opportunities to present themselves, he would seize them.

Palpatine reflected on what had been accomplished in the last few years. Ever since his ascension to the office of Chancellor, he had done much. With the death of his apprentice, Darth Maul, and him killing his master, Darth Plagueis, he had much work to do. The first order of business was to seek a new apprentice, and luckily, he did not have to do much to find one. Rather, it came to him. Count Dooku, ever since the death of Darth Maul, had been paranoid about the threat of the Sith, but the Jedi Council dismissed it and believed that now, it was of no concern. Palpatine had been pleased with this. With the Jedi Council's attention focused elsewhere, he seized his chance to lure Dooku to the dark side. That had been relatively easy. He merely played on Dooku's desires. From the start, their relationship was shaky; Dooku believed them to be equal partners, but Palpatine knew that such a thing could not happen. He was quick to establish his role as the superior one, the Master. Slowly, but surely, Dooku had submitted, proving himself by killing his close friend, Sifo Dyas. He had granted Dooku the title, Darth Tyranus. From there, his apprentice had begun the task of selecting an ideal candidate to form the Grand Army of the Republic. An ideal candidate was found: Jango Fett, a Mandalorian bounty hunter. Since then, the production of clones had begun. With each day, the army was growing. Still, this army was but one of the many tools that Palpatine needed to establish himself. He needed operatives and assassins that could act where armies could not. They needed to be well-trained, intelligent, and utterly obedient to him until death.

Suddenly, Palpatine's pondering was cut off by a strange feeling. He had sensed a surge within the Force. It was as if the Force was committing acts itself.

"Chancellor, is there something that you require?"

Palpatine did not turn to face Mas Amedda. He did not need to.

"Prepare my shuttle."

* * *

><p>Colby eyes flickered open. The first thing that came to his attention that the sky seemed unnaturally beautiful and peaceful. Ignoring the pain, he raised himself and took in his surroundings. He then quickly realized that he still wore his helmet. He then began to listen for any gun fire. There was none. There was not a sound to be heard. Then, he heard some chirping. That was enough to make him rip his helmet off. He could he be hearing birds? He was inside. He quickly removed his helmet and tossed it aside. He quickly rose to his feet. What he saw net took his breath away.<p>

He appeared to be on some cliff. It was not particularly high, but it was enough to warrant him quite the spectacular view. For as far as the eye could see, he saw a mixed landscape of green, white, and grey. Despite not being new to nature, this sight was by far, the most interesting and most beautiful.

_Where am I…_

_To be continued…_

_I'll give you three guess as to where he is_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Discovery

From his view, Colby overlooked the terrain, both awed and confused simultaneously. How had he gotten here, from a paintball arena to…

_Where have I seen this before?_

He began to think about it. First, he considered all the places that he had gone with his life. Although his family often travelled outside the country, this place did not bear any resemblance to any place on Earth, but then again, he had not been to all the places on Earth.  
><em>Where else could I…<em>

Although it was against his better judgment, he began to sift through everything he had: fantasy, reality, at this point, anything was a possibility. Although a very realistic person, Colby knew the importance of fantasy. Fantasy was what allowed people to become more innovative and to challenge the limits of possibility. Often, the impossible could become possible with time, patience, and persistence. Video games, movies, books, and art were just many of the ways that one could escape the narrow confines of reality. Despite the joy of fantasy, Colby knew, however, that in order to extend the rules and borders of reality, one must know the rules from the inside out, know them by instinct, and be able to answer any and all questions concerning it. Once a person could do that, they were free to bend the rules and change what was possible and impossible.

As Colby sifted through what knowledge he processed, he felt mixed reactions. Many of the memories and things he carried were both beautiful and repulsive simultaneously. It was both useful and useless. It was both interesting and boring. It was both realistic and unrealistic. His earliest memories were that of him as an infant. He remembered how he stumbled, how he fell, how he did things that his parents scolded him for, how he learned to walk, how to talk, how to do the basic necessities of life. His thoughts turned to the numerous movies and books he had read. To Colby, movies, in a way, were merely visual manifestations of books. Books provided more entertainment, more room for imagination. Movies, however, could rival books. Movies, like books, were simply another way to express fantasy. It just accomplished it a different way.

Suddenly, Colby's mind came upon something similar to the view that he saw. It was from a movie, but he had also seen it from a video game. Although the two were different in terms of the time frame, they had some things in common. They were of the same title ad legacy, and its name was one that he was all-too familiar with: Star Wars.

_Okay, so what is this planet?_

There were so many planets in the Star Wars Universe. Even with his vast knowledge of the Star Wars universe, he knew only a fraction of the planets. The source of his knowledge came from his friend, Howard. He was a huge Star Wars fan, and knew everything there was to know about it. As much as Colby liked his friend, he did not like it when his friend made these long talks about Star Wars trivia. However, Colby realized that this stuff stuck to him more that he liked to admit. Sometimes, his friend would list the names of planets and give important information about them. Colby was familiar with planets like Tatooine, Naboo, Coruscant, Geonosis. Mustufar, and Alderaan. Anything from the movies was common knowledge to Colby. The other planets were things to find in the video games. Colby, at any other time, would have dismissed this information as nothing more than trivial, and that it would never be put to good use.

No. What was he thinking? How could this be possible?

Still shaking his head, he made his way down the hill. His pondering left him clueless to the many obstacles in his path. Tripping on a rock, he fell face-down onto the hill, sputtering ann cursing to himself. He got up and made his way down to the bottom of the hill. From there, he scanned the horizon, looking for any sign of civilization. Something in the distance caught his attention. It looked like some sort of structure, maybe a tower of some sort.

* * *

><p>Palpatine waited patiently as his shuttle approached his destination. Palpatine could sense something. It was unusual. He could not put his finger down on what it was though. What he did know was that whatever had caused the disturbance in the force was nothing to be ignored. Deciding to track down the source of the disturbance, he requested for his private shuttle. For those who wished to see him, he left one of his representatives to say that he was away on very important business. Once within the space that surrounded Coruscant, he began to reach out with his senses. There was so much he had to sift through in order to narrow down the possible planets that this unusual feeling was coming from.<p>

* * *

><p>Colby clawed his way up the steep Cliffside. It was dangerous enough to be climbing cliffs without the proper climbing equipment. He did not look down. At this height, if he lost his grip, it could cause a severe injury, and possibly a fatal one. With this in mind, he continued to find another place to get a grip and pull himself up. A sharp pain went through his body as he grabbed a jagged sliver of rock that his hand touched. Instead of checking to see if he was okay, he forced himself to ignore the pain and continue. As he moved his right hand up to find another place to grip, he saw a streak of blood where his hand once was. Gazing at it for a short second, he looked up, trying to judge the distance to the top. He could not tell, nor did he really have the patience to even guess a number.<p>

_I just wanted to have a good day, and now, I might die._

After a half-hour, Colby found himself still struggling on the cliff. At this point, he was exhausted and drained. If this kept up, he wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer. Not only that, but he had received several other cuts. Cursing silently, he forced himself to continue on. This was getting nowhere. He didn't even know where he was. He was climbing to who knows where, with no idea of what to do if the cliff…

Colby's hand felt something flat. That realization made him forget his frustration and continue to pull himself up. His left hand also felt a flat surface. Feeling a surge of hope, he used what remained of his energy to get up. With a final grunt, his feet found the ground. As soon as they did, he hit the ground, pale from exhaustion and pain. All he wanted to do now was to wake up. Maybe this was a dream. Maybe the day hadn't actually started. This had to be a dream. Dreams had a way with people. Sometimes, whole adventures in books and movies were nothing more than dreams. It had to be that. There was no way possible that this could be real.

_Wake up. You're dreaming. None of this is real._

For a moment, the only thing that Colby wanted to do was sleep, or wake up. His exhaustion was nowhere near gone. His whole body was screaming with pain. Even while "resting" on the ground, his whole body was tensed up. Being tensed up made any surface seem soft. He did not mind lying on the ground.

After fifteen minutes, he decided to rouse himself. He slowly rose to his feet with a bit more energy than before. As he moved, something in his pocket shuffled around. Colby reached into his right pocket and brought his iPod Touch out. He just stared at it longingly. He did not know why, but for some reason, this device was suddenly the most important thing in the whole world. He needed to protect it. He could listen to some songs later when he got home.

_Or if I get home._

_\ _He put the iPod back into his pocket and looked up for the first time since arriving at the top of the cliff. The large structure looked to be a start. It looked like it was too old to have been used recently, but it would provide at least a clue as to where to go next. As he approached it, he began to see things shifting. Stopping, he turned his head to gaze at his surroundings. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but that was not enough. Paranoia taking over, he scanned each and every object within his view. Nothing was below his attention. When he found nothing out of the ordinary, he double and triple checked his surroundings. He continued towards the structure, keeping himself on high alert. As is this was not enough, his mind suddenly began to swirl with thoughts that were not previously there.

_The Jedi are the enemy._

_ The Galactic Republic must die._

_ Destroy them both._

_ Long live the Sith._

When he was withing reaching distance, Colby reached an arm out to the structure. His fingers brushed gently across the aging surface. For a moment, nothing happened, but suddenly, the structure began to flicker and suddenly winked out of existence. Confusion htting him, he turned to look around. Everything in sight was disappearing. It was replaced by a dark world. Nothing but clouds, dark skies, thunder, and lightning covered the skies. The structure was replaced with an even-larger structure. For some reason, this one looked strangely familiar.

_Please don't tell me this is where I think it is…_

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Welcome to the Dark Temple

_Well, this just got from bad to worse in a heartbeat_

Colby knew exactly where he was: Dromund Kaas, the capitol of the former Sith Empire. That era was, if he recalled correctly, over three thousand and three hundred years before the rise of the Galactic Empire. This place in the games was a boring place, a place where no one

His thoughts were stopped when he began to hear something behind him. He turned his head to find a huge creature headed his way. It was a red-brown color with horns and really big arms, and it was not far away. Thinking quickly, Colby remained completely still. He dared not move a muscle because he would be easily spotted, and he had no weapons on him, at least none that would do any damage. His crimson eyes kept watch on the creature as walked rather slowly by him, observing its surroundings and occasionally making a grunt or a soft roar. Colby felt tensed and fear. This was nothing compared to the games. This thing was alive and real. He didn't know how it would react in real life; the games certainly didn't give him anything to help him either. They were games, and in this case, very bad ones.

_Carefully_

Once he was certain that the creature couldn't see him, he began to silently move towards what appeared to be a forest, where he would at least be able to be stealth-like. Keeping his eyes peeled, he moved rapidly but rather quietly out of the open area.

_The Jedi are the enemy._

_ The Galactic Republic must die._

_ Destroy them both._

_ Long live the Sith._

This time, the voices did more than sound in his head; they were somehow painful. Colby began to hold his head and groan in pain. His cries lasted only for a few seconds before they stopped. That was enough time for many of the creatures in the area to hear him and move towards him. With the element of stealth gone, Colby did the only thing he knew to do: run. He took off in a sprint. The creatures followed suit, not letting up one bit. Trying not to look back, Colby made for the forest where he hoped to climb a tree and lose them. He began to feel his lungs getting tired. He couldn't keep this up for long. Another minute or two was all he was going to get of running. His running was stopped as he stumbled and tripped over a stone in his way. He collapsed on his stomach, hitting the ground hard. He once again cried out in pain. As he struggled to get up, the pain only intensified. He could hear the creatures bearing down on him. Fear grasping him, he got up, feeling the pain even more, but his mind decided that pain was a reasonable tradeoff in exchange for life. As he quickly rose, he began to take off. Colby turned his head to see where his pursuers were. He then admonished himself for not paying attention to what was in front of him. Just as he turned to resume looking forward, another creature stood in his way. He didn't bother to take a look, he dove to the right, which forced him to go the place where he didn't want to go: the Dark Temple. He considered going back, then the pain began to kick in again. That, coupled with the fact that there was a whole group of wild ravenous animals on his trail convinced him to head into the temple. It was a suicide run. If he went into the temple, he wondered what would happen first: be killed or his mind overtaken by one of the dead Sith Lords in the temple, but there was that or gets mauled by everything outside. He had no intention of dying and eaten. He would rather die whole rather than be ripped to pieces. Putting everything he had in his pained body, he entered the Dark Temple, not even bothering to check for any dangers. He just ran up the stairs and into the main chamber, which was deserted and unsettlingly quiet. He stopped, looking for a place to hide. There was no place to hide. He turned his head slightly to hear for anything behind him. Strangely, there was not a sound. Maybe the creatures had lost the desire to get him, or maybe they were influenced by the temple. Either way, Colby didn't like it. Not wanting to let his guard down for even a second, he moved quickly from the large open room and moved to the walls. The pains from his injuries were getting worse, and it wasn't like there was 911 to call or a person to shout to for help. He was on his own, but how long did he have?

_No. I…will…not…die…_

Forcing the pain out of his mind, he proceeded to walk, searching for something that could be useful, but he did not know what he could possibly use. There was nothing in the temple, and no one around either. In the game, Colby remembered more people in here, and possibly a chance to find a weapon, but that time was long ago. The interior was much darker and more ancient than he remembered seeing it. Thousands of years without a single presence weren't making the already-aging structure any younger. Stones and rock were scattered everywhere, bones were scattered, most of them humanoid-shaped. Whispers and voices were very faint, which made the atmosphere all the more menacing. The only thing inside that remained relatively intact was the center statue. Despite the stone's extremely advanced age, the structure remained intact and the details were also somewhat visible.

Judging by the advanced age of the structure and the surrounding bones and emptiness began a flood of questions in Colby's mind.

_Why is it abandoned?_

_ What year is it?_

_ How did I get here?_

_ Why here?_

With these fresh in mind, Colby continued upstairs, where more bones lay. He was careful to watch his step for fear of the stone collapsing beneath his feet. Once at the top, he observed the ground floor from the top level. Then, his pain resumed, which forced him to double down in pain. It was becoming unbearable to the point of being numb. He had lost a substantial amount of blood. Without help, he would pass out and it wasn't likely that anyone would find him. When the pain stopped, he saw something in the atmosphere. From his pain came what appeared to be energy, like something a force user would use. Struggling to focus his eyes, he saw the energy move to a door. Curious whether this was the cause of his pain, he moved to intercept the energy. The door appeared to be once sealed with a torch, but years of exposure had caused the door to rust away. Colby gently brushed his gloved hand over the door. Without warning the door came to life, lighting up a crimson red to match his own red eyes. Slowly, but surely, the doors parted for him, opening three meters, then coming to a halt.

_Wait, what am I doing?_

Colby knew this was likely a trap, but it wasn't like there was much else to do, and at this point, there was little to do now, seeing as he was dying slowly.

_Maybe a Sith Lord spirit will end the suffering fast._

Clinging to the last hope that maybe he was dreaming, he followed the energy as at weaved its way throughout the halls, and rooms of the tomb. He still watched for signs of danger, even though the effort was not really worth it. For five minutes, he did nothing but follow the energy, hoping it would lead him to something that would end the dream or maybe his life. Finally, the energy vanished, but it had vanished in a large room. The room looked rather ornate. Armor hung from posts, the walls were decorated with carvings and writings. It was surprisingly orderly and nothing seemed to be out of place. Colby's eyes rested on what appeared to be a coffin. Without hesitation, he made his way to the coffin, completely unaware that a pair of eyes were watching him. As he stopped in front of the coffin, he turned, sensing something unusual, but there was nothing.

Dismissing it, he turned back front only to see a Sith Ghost coming for him. He dind't have enough time to react as he felt himself lift off the floor. He hit the ceiling hard. He did not scream. He merely took the pain to his head. He the felt himself being hurtled down the ground. Screaming with pain, he could only kneel as he felt a force constricting his throat. His first instinct was to go for his throat, but that wouldn't work, so he surrendered to the pain without resistance. His eyes showed no fear, only anticipation for death…

_To be continued…_


	4. Chapter 4: Talks

Chapter 4: Talks of the Future and the Force

For thousands of years, the Dark Temple had not been explored. The last person to enter the temple did so over three thousand years ago, when the Sith Empire was at its peak condition, but now, there was no Empire, and the Sith had been hiding in plain sight, waiting for their time to strike at the Jedi and the Galactic Republic. Every Sith Lord in the Dark Temple and across the galaxy knew this. They watched with great anticipation for the day that the Sith would rise to rule the galaxy with no opposition and no chance of the Jedi being able to recover. This dream was easier said than done though. There were many complications. Over a thousand years prior to now, the Sith Lord Darth Bane had eradicated all the Sith in the galaxy, leaving him as the sole surviving Dark Lord. He set out to reform the Sith Empire into the Order of Two, much like Darth Revan millennium ago. This was for the best. The Sith could not hope to accomplish much with many Sith vying for control and power within the Brotherhood of Darkness. Darth Bane, along with his new apprentice, Zannah, resumed the millennia-old quest of the Sith Order: to destroy the Jedi Order and destroy the Galactic Republic. With only two Sith in the galaxy, finding allies and friends would be crucial. The task of building enough alliances and partnerships would be delicate. The Sith could not really focus on their quest without help from others, but Darth Bane was patient, and knew fully well that this would be accomplished in a lifetime. It would take hundreds, maybe a thousand years, but in the end, one of the Sith in time would began to see the fruits of hundreds of years of work. All the Sith Lords across the galaxy knew what the Jedi were completely oblivious to, and they could wait for the Sith's rise to glory soon enough, and Darth Thom was no exception.

Darth Thom had sensed the presence of a human male in his tomb. He had not seen another being in the Temple ever since his death. Who dared to defile the Dark Temple? Surely, anyone with even a semblance of intelligence was not foolish enough to enter the tombs of Dark Lords. What surprised him more was that the presence was heading into the direction of his tomb. Deciding to kill this one for entering sacred grounds, he summoned a cloud of energy to lure this one into a death trap. The ploy worked as a young human boy entered the temple. The boy sported some sort of protective gear and appeared to be on high alert. It was of little importance to the Sith Lord. As the boy gazed around the tomb, Thom appeared, using the Force to telekinetically grab the child, hit him into the ceiling and back to the ground. He then proceeded to using a choke hold. He was surprised even more that the boy seemed resigned to the pain and showed no signs of pain in his eyes. Darth Thom took a close look as he kept the Force choke on the boy. His eyes were blood-red. He was Sith blood…and more.

The choke hold was relinquished. The boy collapsed to the ground, coughing and sputtering.

"Why," the boy asked.

"I have been waiting for you for almost a thousand years. I was beginning to worry that you were not alive, but I am relieved and grateful that you have survived."

"What?"

"You do not know who I am. I expected as much. You were but a small infant, not seven months old when I last saw you. It was most unfortunate that we were separated."

The boy narrowed his eyes in confusion and in suspicion. This boy had no idea.

"I see that you have taken your first step to becoming a warrior by taking part in these games with these 'paintball guns'. How amusing that children are allowed to participate in simulated battles."

A confused expression was all the boy could do, but he remained alert and fearful.

The ghost took a closer look at the child. The child closely resembled a person that Darth Thom had once loved and cared for deeply. The child bared his mother's face and her scowl. The boy was fearful, but not the fear that disarms. It was the fear that keeps one alive and allows one to strike back. The crimson red eyes, the eyes of a Sith, were obvious, and they burned with an intense heat. The emotions of this child were controlled, used as a weapon. The child was also in excellent physical shape for someone of his age.

"If only you mother could see you now. She would be most impressed."

* * *

><p><em>Colby P.O.V.<em>

That made no sense. Was this ghost possibly joking?

Colby narrowed his eyes, his fingers bawling into a fist and unraveling. This Sith claimed to be his father? No, that was impossible. Star Wars was impossible. This universe was created as an amusement, something for people to us as an escape from the realities of the world. For imagination to become real was...nothing short of ridiculous. If Colby had a sense of humor, he might actually find this Sith to be funny and laugh out loud.

The masked ghost continued to observe the child. The fact that Colby was still alive was...relieving and intimidating.

"Serious. Practical. Analytical. You possess my traits, but carry your mothers looks."

That didn't do much to ease his nerves.

"Staying silent will only cause more confusion and fear. Speak." The Sith Lord's voice was intimidating and very full.

What to say? He wasn't sure where to start. Of course he had questions. The first and foremost wondering if he had become insane or sociopathic. It was not far from reality. He was in a universe that was created from the amusement of others, but now he was in it. It was rather horrifying to think that he was possibly insane. Being insane, what did that mean? His mind turning to one definition that stuck in his mind, maybe not the right one, but it was something.

"Insanity...is...doing the exact same fucking thing over and over again, expecting shit to change."

The same thing? Was he preaching to himself that this was an absolute nightmare, that whatever he was seeing, hearing, smelling, and feeling, was a figment of his imagination? Was he continuously denying it? Those words were those of an insane man trying to destabilize and confuse. Insanity cannot be comprehended that easily. The many forms of insanity could not be understood by the sane. One had to experience to know. Mentally shaking his head, he forced those thoughts out of his head. Reality or not, he was here, and like it or not, he needed to survive. For now, he would have to listen to this ghost.

"I wonder if perhaps I am losing my hold on sanity," Colby finally said. "That I've completely lost my mind."

"The truth comes out," Thom said. "It is understandable. All species carry a degree of mental instability, some more than others. That mental instability is what makes all organics what they are."  
>If Colby was confused before, it would pale in comparison to what he was expressing now.<p>

"You are making no sense," Colby said, annoyed. "I do not understand what you are getting at."

No words were said as the Sith Spirit raised one arm and began to chant some incoherent words, perhaps of a language that Colby did not know. Perhaps the Sith spoke their own unique language? Once again, what this Sith ghost was doing could be considered to be humorous, if Colby had a sense of humor. The only that that was being produced from this moment of nothingness was impatience, that is, until his mind reeled in pain. The jolt was enough to get his attention. It lasted mere seconds. As he tried to ignore the pain, Colby could see from the corner of his eyes, the Sith waited patiently for him to recover quickly.

"The Force is strong within you," Thom said. "However, it is also very unstable. Prolonged exposure to Light and Dark energies could have...fatal results."

A death threat? An intimidation method? A truth?

"Meaning what," Colby demanded.

"It is up to you to determine what that means."

These mind games were becoming more and more jumbled. So many revelations in less than ten minutes, and still no real clear solution to any of the dilemmas faced. If this ghost wanted him to play games, then he would play the game, and he would win. Colby had never lost a game before, and if this was a reality, then the game became even more critical and victory and defeat were more glorious and costly.

The first thing to understand was his surroundings. To his knowledge, he was within a structure called the Dark Temple, created by the Sith on Dromund Kaas. Colby had almost immediately recognized it from the game he had played. Apparently, over three thousand years had done more than cause the temple to age. More chambers were added, the Sith Lords of the Temple were now dormant, as apparent by the lack of possessed people. This Darth Thom, how did he know that name? The Sith did not speak of his name. At this point, it mattered little. Darth Thom was a Sith Lord of the New Empire, the Brotherhood of Darkness.

"Do not even think of that organization," Thom exclaimed. "They were heretics and a broken shadow of the former Sith Empire!"

Darth Thom was separate from the Brotherhood, perhaps like Darth Bane in a way. What else? He claimed to be his father, as unbelievable as that sounded. What was the proof?

"Should you require further proof of my claims," Thom continued. "Test your blood with a sample of mine. It should...cease any further doubt."

Thom pointed to small device against a nearby wall. Wasting no time, Colby stepped forward. A knife lay nearby. The scanner pulsed a erie gold. Figuring out the device quickly, Colby took teh knife to his hand and made a neat cut. The cut oozed blood. He was quick to place the blood on the scanner. Suddenly, a display flickered to life. On one side, the display identified his DNA while to the right, another DNA sample was shown. Although the machine was deciphering the code fast, Colby could see the very fine differences, but there was no denying it: it was a match.

Colby wasn't sure if it was this conformation, or the amount of information given to him, but his thoughts turned to a certain waivering thought he once had.

_He could hear the crying of an infant. Two people stood together, one holding a tiny infant. Although it was too dark to discern any fine details regarding the two people, they both appeared to be humans. One wore Mandalorian armor, or what looked like it. The other wore armor as well, but more Sith in design. The design was hard to see, but it looked like heavy Sith battle armor. They were whispering, but the words were too low to hear._

Colby whirled around to see the ghost with his hands clasped behind his back. His crimson eyes took in the the armor: heavy, deadly, and intimidating. The vision did not afford him the viewing that he saw now, but he could only assume the resemblance.

"And what of her, my mother?"

The word mother was awkward. Colby didn't think he should call her that. She may have created him, but she certainly hadn't raised him, hadn't cared for his growth or development, but perhaps there was a reason for this. This was, after all, a very unusual situation.

"You mother was a Mandalorian of Clan Krayton. She was their best warrior. Our first encounter was in a confrontation."

"To make a long story short, she was sent to hunt me down. We battled, and we were evenly matched. I came to admire her for her determination, cunning, and skill in battle. She came to admire me as a Sith who was unlike others. We came to know each other as people rather than a Mandalorian and a Sith. We became emotionally close, and as a result, you are our legacy, our only living child."

Colby was certain that there were a great many details that were not included, but the Sith had not mentioned them, so it was not worth asking about right now.

"What became of her?"

"She died fighting Jedi, ones who had come to steal you from us. Although she was killed, she took the Jedi with her to death, and to this day, Clan Krayton honors her as one of their best."

So he would never get to meet her.

"There may be a chance for you to find what remains of her."

Against his better judgement, Colby's interest was piqued.

"Today will not be that day. You are here now, and whether you are ready or not, you must begin your training."

Colby assumed that Thom was speaking of the Force. How strong was he in the Force? Would he possess any special abilities? Would he be able to begin training now?

From watching the movies, Colby could vaguely remember that most Jedi started out as infants or very young children raised by the Jedi Order to adulthood. It was a standard of the Jedi Order. They didn't often accept anyone older.

"We are not the Jedi, boy," Tome scowled. "The Sith accept what the Jedi do not. We accept that anyone, with enough training and motivation, can become Sith. However, you cannot actually become Sith. There are already two Sith. You will be given the training to properly combat Jedi using Sith teachings."

"Why?"

The question was simple, but deadly serious.

"As we speak the Jedi and the Galactic Republic have been slowly deteriorating for almost a millenium. The Jedi are less prepared for Force-sensitive opponents, much less ones that can be subtle and silent. You possess a strong mind and willpower. Your mind is unshielded now, but with proper training, you could become resilient from Jedi and Sith mid probes, mind attacks, and mind tricks."

That was it. He needed a clear answer. So far, this conversation had been nothing but evasive talk.

"If you are trying to say something, say it. Don't play with words." Colby spoke with a harsh tone.

"Just like your mother: patient for only a short time. Very well, if you want to know I will tell you. You will carry out the will of Darth Sidious, and you will bring the Republic and the Jedi to destruction, and this is not a request."

* * *

><p><strong>If this chapter is bad, I apologize. I will try to get the story into a more coherent structure. I make no excuses for extended periods of time with no reviews. Review would be great. They help me get inspiration and don't hesitate to tell me what I could do better or voice an idea. I'm all ears.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5: The Training Begins

Chapter 5: How a Galaxy Operates

**Outer Rim Territories**

** Dromund Kaas**

**Dromund System**

If I had a sense of humor right now, I might actually enjoy it. I can count how many times that I have laughed on one hand in my entire lifetime. It's not that I cannot feel humor, but I feel that humor and laughter should be reserved, kept for only the best of times, and in all honesty, there are many things in life that aren't that terribly funny. I don't know why I find myself unable to laugh as much as everyone else does. Perhaps it is an inherent trait of my bloodline, and right now at this time, that seems like the most plausible reason, because one of my bloodline is standing in front of me, and deep down, I know that he's telling the truth.

Darth Thom is my father. That blood test was the scientific proof for me, but something else was also telling me about the truth. Was it the Force? I've heard that the Force gives one the ability to see truth where others can't, but I have no idea how it works. I guess that means I have to learn myself, that is, if I can even figure it out. It's not like I have been trained from birth to use the Force, so maybe that feeling that I'm getting is a result of the Force beginning to work? If that is the case, then the Force tells me that this Sith speaks truth, all of it, with no hint of a lie.

So what should I do now? Should I scream out of anger for not having know about this? Should I say nothing and wait for this Sith to explain more? He told me that I would serve Darth Sidious, whom I'm sure that every Star Wars fan knows and respects. In all honesty, I never bothered to take too close of a look into his backstory or alternate universe. Everything I know about Star Wars pertains to the video games and maybe a few novels here and there, but I can't say that my knowledge is really complete. Sure, I do know more than most, but that's really a vague placement. Anyway, I shake my head. I wouldn't serve a Sith willingly. I have no reason to, and I strongly disagree with the way the Sith operate. I'm no murderer, and I have no desire to kill.

Unfortunately, Thom seems persistent in his efforts to convert me, and I'll give credits where it's due, but this game is just boring. I suppose this means that I should just give up because, well, you know, it's a Sith, and I'm a kid, who's just discovered his heritage. I begin to wonder if that DNA test was a fake. If it was, I wouldn't know how Thom did it. In fact, there are so many things I don't know. The only thing I know for certain is that this Sith is crazy enough to believe that I'll help him. Maybe I would rather die than help him.

"You mistake my intentions, child," Thom continued, "I seek not to compel, but to convince. You live in a world where corruption is not apparent, but it lingers and it hides where you least expect it."

"And being absolute tyrants makes it better," I demand.

"Giving freedom leads to chaos and anarchy," Thom argues. "Just look at the Jedi Order. They believe in peace over violence, and yet for everything they have done, the Republic has cast them away many times. Yes. peace does exist, but it cannot be achieved by means of freedom. It must be controlled."

"It's not right," I reply. "Taking people's free will for no reason other than to get power."

Thom paused, and for a moment, I could almost swear that he was hesitating, or maybe he was trying to fool me. It wouldn't be a hard task for him. He's a Sith Lord, and I'm a kid wearing flimsy armor meant to protect from paintball shots. I don't even have my weapons, if you could even call them that. I'm dead weight here. I might have a few tricks to defend myself from my dad back at home, but that's about it.

"The galaxy and the universe is not meant to be fair, nor righteous," Thom explains. "The Sith are the embodiment of the other side, things that people would refuse. We usher in epochs of terror to instill fear and intimidation into the hearts of our enemies because we were forsaken by the Jedi. We are the embodiment of all things the Jedi ignore, but most importantly, we are what keeps the galaxy in balance. If the Dark Side was destroyed, the Force would erupt into complete pandemonium. Everything would cease to exist. The same applies with the Jedi. No matter how much we wish to eradicate all Jedi so that we can do as we please, the Light Side is just as critical as the Dark Side. One cannot exist without the other. The best both sides can truly manage is to diminish the other's numbers so that we may retain power for a while longer."

I listen, not really understanding. Too much said in a small span of time. Actually, I don't want to listen. I'm sure that if I listened, I could understand, but right now, I don't want to give the satisfaction to the Sith that his reasons are valid and tangible, but that wouldn't be right of me. If I admit that he's right, then I admit that I am wrong and that evil is important, and that we can't live without it. Why do adults always have to be so right?

I can't give up yet. Maybe there's a chance.

"I pity you child. You compassion is admirable, even if misguided. Your willingness to help people is understandable given your upbringing, but I will teach you the difference between reality and fantasy. This reality you are in now demands blood and sacrifice. There is no other pathway to take. You must learn to strike back in order make it known to your enemies that you are not to be trifled with. You must do what you believe is necessary for the greater good, not what people demand of you."

Freedom? That sounds sort of cool. I really can't say why, but I've always wondered why it is that adults can control kids so much. It's like they think we're easy to break. I remember that I'm not allowed to watch TV shows or movies with too many swears. I think it's kind of stupid because it's not like I'm going to die if I've heard them. Besides, I've already heard just about every curse there is, but I don't use them, and I certainly don't plan on using them, not anytime in the future at least.

"Now you understand," Thom says quietly.

If there's one thing that I wish would stop was that. It's terrifying to know that my every thought can be read without so much as blink, Maybe I'm more weak in the mind that I thought. It's kind of no secrets that Force mind tricks or what have you work on the weak-minded.

"No, my child, your mind is only open to me due to the inner turmoil of all that has been revealed. At any other time, I would have to make much more effort to read and "hear" your thoughts."

If that was suppose to make me feel better, it didn't work, but if what he said is true, then I would like to do it, to get under control so that I can stop being so...what's the word...obvious, open, I guess.

Forcing a loud breath from my mouth, I bite my lips, trying to get myself in control. I think about something calming and boring in order to stop being so off-the-wall. That's when I remember something in my pocket. I retrieve the only device that I brought with me: my iPod touch, the only thing I have left of home, and perhaps one of the only things that could possibly sooth my nerves. I don't care if I look like I don't belong here with it. If it will help me get myself together and figure out what's going on, then I'll take this over everything else.

I push the button, my eyes watching the corner where the time, battery life, and wi-fi connection are displayed. There's no internet, figures, but the battery is at full power, and the time is about 12;17pm. I guess I should eat lunch, if I had my lunch box with me. I type in the password, watching screen flicker to life. There are only a few games on, all a different genre, but there are movies on it too, but most of what fills the iPod to capacity is the music. I've got thousands upon thousands of songs on it, not all of them my preferred necessarily. My dad certainly did want me to listen to his music, the kind he listened to as a kid. I don't listen to those too much. Too old-school. There are a few other songs that my mom might listen to, that being country and some really sad music. Me, I like rock and roll as well as pop, but I can listen to all kinds of music, if I want to.

My mind focused on calming down, I'm thankful that the Sith decides to shut up at least for a bit. I don't like it when moments like these are interrupted. After perhaps a few minutes, a few hours, I don't know, I put the device away. Listening to music can be later, but for now, I got to find out what to do now.

"Good. I can sense a calm presence now. Good," Thom reports. "But I sense that your body requires nourishment. I have none here, so I will have to teach you how to sustain yourself with the Force."

"Is that even possible," I ask. I've heard of such a thing, but have no idea how it even works.

"Yes, and with the right amount of practice, it can be easily done. All you require are some lessons, and now that your mind has entered a tranquil state, I believe you will learn rapidly. Come, sit."

I notice he doesn't mention our earlier talk, not that I want to talk about killing people and being evil serving a Sith Lord. No, but what can I do against the galaxy? Throw a few punches and kicks, that's what. So I do the next best thing and sit down cross-legged and with a neutral face. I want to learn, and now's a good a time as any. I just hope I don't learn something that I'll not want later.

"Look into yourself," Thom chants, his voice echoing throughout the entire chamber. Now that I think of it, there chamber is now lit. How does that work? It's not like a ghost can light a match and hold it up to the pillars and lanterns in the room? I shake my head. Not the time to be thinking too much.

"Look into yourself," Thom said. "Let yourself go. Look into the Force. Look into things beyond what is plainly visible. See the things that others fail to comprehend. If you are truly worth, the Force will guide you to see these things."

I have no idea what he's talking about, but if he wants me to think of something that I don't know, then I guess I'll have some time to think about it. I know that I'm very smart, but I don't know how much brain smarts actually does me in the Force if it helps at all. I honestly don't know where to begin, so I just focus on my memories, remembering what I can, those images becoming more and more crystal-clear.

I remember shooting my first gun. I remember first becoming interest in music. I remember my mother's kisses, hugs, and her compassion. I remember my father's lessons, him teaching me how to defend myself, how to conduct myself in public, how to remain calm and collected in situation of great stress. I remember beginning to learn my second language. I remember when I could officially say that I was fluent in two languages. I remember the smell and taste of the food I ate. I could remember my friends and I playing a game a kickball, laughing at each others pain. I remember when I first went to school, not afraid, and confident, but courteous just the same. I remember first reading chapter books. All of my memories that have shaped me into the person that I am now come back to me, and I can recall each detail as clearly as the purity of water.

**00000000000000000000**

_It is then that I am aware that I am no longer in the chamber of Darth Thom, or even in the Dark Temple, at least not consciously. I am not part of the physical world. I guess that means I've communed with the Force, or have at least touch it. It feels strangely alien, and very comforting, almost as much as my mom's presence. I can feel the presence of other people in the Force. but I don't know who they are, just that they exist. I can sense the presence of other sleeping ghosts. In that moment, I smile a small smile. Could I wake the ghosts up here? What if I decided to be annoying and take jabs at them. That might be fun. That thought lifts my spirits up, but I only think on the outcomes. I don't think it's wise to make ghosts angry, a fact that I have had the "pleasure" of experiencing personally, but I have a feeling that this is not the only time that I'll be force-choked, or shocked, or whatever it is that the Jedi would use._

_I realise that someone else is next to me, or close by. I turn, my crimson eyes focusing in on the spirit that stood in front of me. It is the Sith Thom. His expression is still hidden to me, his form shining like it does in the physical world. I face him, but do nothing else. I don't know what he wants me to do, but I'll watch him. If he tries anything funny, I'll lash back, that is, if the Force is lets me. I'm no master at this, so like my adoptive parents always tell me, practice._

_"Your mind and consciousness are now One with the Force. Your mind is now clearer than before. Your power is now becoming more amplified, but you still have much to learn, and the Dark Side cannot teach you everything. You require the Light Side as well. Failure to do so could prove to be damaging on your part"_

_"Then what you have me do," I ask._

_"I ask that you heed my lessons. Time here has no meaning. I will teach what I can in the limited time we have. You will learn, and you will grow. These teachings are only the beginning, mind you, and you must seek your own path to power and clarity."_

_"We begin with the Sith Code. Peace is a lie. There is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through Strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me."_

_I get the meaning of the code, but I don't have it down to memory yet. Seems a bit hypocritical to me. The Sith are all about war and violence, and yet, they want to rule the galaxy. I thought being part of a government or being a rule meant peace._

_"This code has endured the test of time. Ever since our beginnings on Korriban, the first Sith preached these words, and they have been our guide, keeping us on the path to power. It is these words that remind of the goal of the Order of the Sith: to eradicate the Galactic Republic and rule the galaxy unopposed by all, even the Jedi. Anyone that dares to impede these goals are our enemies. They will be ground into dust, and the Sith will continue our way to absolute power in the Force."_

_"You are not Sith, and you probably will never be Sith fully, but Sith blood courses through your body, and you are the last descendants of the true Sith. This will force you to move in shadows, keeping your identity secret from the Jedi Order, but I have every confidence that you will do what is right for the Sith and the galaxy."_

_The chant of a thousand dead Sith Lords in the history of the Star Wars galaxy all call out, and they same thing, even if all of them are different in ways I can't remember._

_Destroy the Jedi. Destroy the Republic._

_It is then that I find myself no longer in the same place. I look around, and try to figure out where I am. At first, I don't know where I am, but then, my mind recalls a small memory. It looks like the Jedi Temple, that one on Coruscant. I think there are many temples across the Jedi all for Jedi, but if we're in the same time frame as the movies, then this must be Coruscant. I can see that it is day, and somehow, I can see the Jedi go about their day, discussing about a great deal of things, all of them seemingly ignoring me like I'm not there. I look at myself, and I see something truly freaky. I'm not wearing the same things. I'm wearing some sort of costume or armor. I can feel a hood covering my head, my face feeling the wind. I feel heavy, so I look at my arms, only to see myself covered in armor, but not like knight armor, but more like a mix of armor and robes or something along those lines._

_The image changes from the Jedi Temple to a raging battle, and I find myself with what I guess to be sniper rifle, shouting out some commands. I'm utterly confused. As I continue firing, I find myself looking at myself in the reflection of a clone trooper's helmet. I look at myself._

_I'm no longer a boy, but a grown adult. My hair can't be seen, but I think that military-short hair is just my cup of tea. I look a lot taller than I am now, maybe just a tad bit shorter than my dad. I can't tell much else, but I know what this is now._

_It's a vision of the future…_

**Okay, weird chapter. but there's a reason for it, which I can't really tell. REVIEW and tell me what went good and bad. If there are grammar problems, you can call me out on that.**

**I haven't been on the story much due to me being busy with life and other stories. I am so sorry, but this story will have really inconsistent updates.**

**Hope you enjoyed reading. Peace!**


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